The Human Rights Act

The Human Rights Act 1993 is aimed at giving all people equal opportunities and preventing unfair treatment on the basis of irrelevant personal characteristics.

The Human Rights Act covers discrimination on the grounds of:

  • sex
  • marital status
  • religious belief
  • ethical belief
  • colour
  • race
  • ethnic or national origins
  • disability
  • age
  • political opinion
  • employment status
  • family status
  • sexual orientation.

It's unlawful to discriminate someone on these grounds in the following areas of public life:

  • employment
  • education
  • access to public places
  • provision of goods and services
  • housing and accommodation.

People who think they have been discriminated against can complain to the Human Rights Commission.

Human Rights Commission website(external link)

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